Lancaster Racing is taking part in Formula Student, where engineering students design and manufacture a racing car, and compete at Silverstone race circuit the weekend after the British Grand Prix.

Student Anita Crompton from Lancaster Racing said: “James will be getting regular updates on the progress of the team and we look forward to meeting him, when his busy schedule allows.”

James May graduated from Lancaster University in 1985 before working as a subeditor on magazines and then moving into broadcasting.

The awardwinning TV presenter is best known for appearing on the globally successful Top Gear motoring show with Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson.

Other accolades include James May On The Moon, James May at The Edge of Space, James May’s 20th Century, James May’s Big Ideas, James May’s Top Toys and James May’s Man Lab.

A freelance writer for many years, he had a weekly column in The Daily Telegraph and has contributed to several publications, including CAR Magazine and Top Gear Magazine.

This year’s Lancaster Racing is the largest team the University has entered into the competition, with 17 members led by Team Leader Loren Wright.

She has already been accepted onto the Aston Martin graduate training scheme where she will be working in the Product Development section.

She said: “I am incredibly excited to have achieved my life ambition of securing a career in the automotive industry, and accredit a lot of my success to this project.

“For my 3rd year BEng dissertation, I studied the advantages of incorporating aerodynamic devices onto a Formula Student car to determine if sufficient downforce can be achieved at such low speeds. Following the success of this investigation, I am now continuing this study by developing an underfloor for this year’s car, which will be the first from Lancaster University to run an aerodynamic device.

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James will be getting regular updates on the progress of the team and we look forward to meeting him